TNT signs Marv Albert to new deal
Sportscaster says 'Yes!' to eight-year contract
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Albert, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, was wooed by TNT's main competitor ESPN, which offered him the chance to call the NBA Finals.
The contract renewal allows Albert to continue working on a full schedule of post-season National Basketball Assn. games, including the Conference Finals, as well as the NBA All-Star Game and weekly regular-season games cablecast exclusively by TNT. As part of the deal, Albert will also do play-by-play for selected games on NBA TV, the 24/7 cable network that's a partnership between Turner Sports and the NBA.
Albert also expects to continue calling 50 regular-season games of the New Jersey Nets for YES, the regional sports network in the Greater New York area.
The 2007-08 NBA schedule on TNT is off to a strong start season to date in the Nielsens, shooting up by 26% among men 18 to 34, by 22% in men 25 to 54 and by 26% with men 18 to 49.
David Levy, president of Turner Sports, said he's counting on these numbers to provide viewer momentum going in to the All-Star Game on Feb. 17. The All-Star Game could get an additional bump in the ratings because the writers strike has resulted in more reruns on the broadcast networks.
